Allison Madueke arrested,release on bail by British police

Ex petroleum minister.

Questioned with 4 others over ‘bribery and corruption’
allegations EFCC raids her Abuja home


Yemi Adebowale


The United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) yesterday
arrested former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-
Madueke in London, United Kingdom over allegations of bribery
and corruption allegedly perpetrated during her tenure as minister.


Alison-Madueke who has been away in London receiving
treatment for breast cancer since her tenure as petroleum
minister ended on May 29 was said to have been released on
bail after hours of interrogation by NCA operatives.
Those arrested with her were also said to have been granted bail
after questioning.


Though, the NCA confirmed the arrest of "five Nigerians" over the
said bribery and corruption allegations, the agency however
refused to give out the identities of those arrested.


In a short statement on its website, the NCA said its International
Corruption Unit had arrested five people across London on
suspicion of bribery and corruption offences on Friday.


However, a top official of the EFCC confirmed to THISDAY last
night that Alison-Madueke was indeed, the former minister
arrested by the NCA.


When THISDAY contacted the NCA official on phone late last
night, he declined to state whether they will be charged to court
in London or repatriated to Nigeria for trial. The official who
refused to disclose his name on grounds that they do not reveal
details of their investigations to the media except when
necessary, adding that investigations were just at the very
preliminary stage.


THISDAY learnt that the arrests were initiated by the EFCC based
on its working relationship with the British NCA.

The source told THISDAY: “They (EFCC) initiated the arrest after
completing investigations into crimes allegedly perpetrated in the
petroleum ministry during the tenure of Alison-Madueke. You
know that the EFCC has a relationship with the NCA that has
lasted for years. This British agency was formerly called formerly
Serious Organised Crime Agency.”

The British High Commission in Nigeria also confirmed the five
arrests; however, it also refused to disclose the identities of
those arrested.

“This morning, five people between the ages of 21 and 60 were
arrested on suspicion of bribery and corruption offences. The
crimes are being investigated by the National Crime Agency. The
NCA does not confirm identity at arrest nor provide information
that could be used to corroborate the identity of an arrested
individual,” Joseph Abuku, Press and Public Affairs Officer, at the
High Commission said.


Few hours after her alleged arrest in London, operatives of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission swooped on Alison-
Madueke’s house in Asokoro, Abuja in search of alleged
incriminating documents.


As at the time of writing this report, EFCC operatives were still in
her house combing virtually everywhere. A source told THISDAY
that her house had been “turned upside down” by the EFCC
operatives.


The NNPC under Alison-Madueke was allegedly involved in several
opaque deals, many of which have been cancelled by the Buhari
administration.


Alison-Madueke has consistently maintained that she was
innocent of all the graft allegations against her.
All efforts to get official confirmation from the EFCC last night on
the arrests in London proved abortive. Another source said the
anti-graft agency would issue an official statement on the arrests
“as soon as it is ready to do so.”


President Muhammadu Buhari had at a meeting with Chinese
President Xi Jinping in New York on the sideline of the United
Nations General Assembly stated that people who allegedly
misappropriated billions of naira belonging to NNPC would soon
be arraigned.